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Editor’s note: This article discusses suicide and contains mentions of assault. If you are a veteran experiencing suicidal thoughts, contact the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1 or by going to https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/.

Six months before her retirement from the military, Lieutenant Colonel Olivia Nunn was spiraling out of control. Her then-husband wanted a divorce, she had previously been assaulted by a platoon sergeant multiple times and she had been facing the pressure of being one of the few female commanders.

She internalized the message that she was not good enough, believing that she was the problem. And one thing you’re taught in the army is to find, fix and kill the problem, she said.

An audience of about 50 gathered in the K.G. Tan Auditorium at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families on Wednesday night to hear stories like Nunn’s. The Suicide Prevention and Education Talk, which also featured Richard Doss, a clinical psychologist and suicide prevention expert, and Colonel Gregory Gadson, featured conversations about suicide and mental health in the veteran community.

“We have to end the silence around mental health,” Nunn said in her talk. “When one person shares their story, it gives someone else the courage to share theirs.”

In the military, it is a sign of weakness to ask for help, and a high rate of veterans end up attempting suicide as a result of the stigma, Doss said. But talking about mental health and exposing oneself to these tough conversations is a true sign of fortitude, Gadson said.

“Being vulnerable, being real, is a sign of strength,” he said.

As a result of his service in the military, Gadson had to amputate both of his legs, and partially lost operation in his right arm, which is his dominant arm. Gadson said he felt like he did not want to live, but looked at himself in the mirror and thought about all of the people who did not make it back from war.

“What would they say to me?” he said. “And with that thought, I said, ‘I’m going to live.’”

Before the talk, the NVRC held a resource fair in Bisignano Grand Hall to highlight various mental health resources. Eight community resource partners, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Clear Path for Veterans and SyracuseServes, tabled at the event.

Frank Pearson, the director of the Syracuse VA Medical Center and a retired U.S. Navy Captain, said in his talk that providing resources for veterans is key to preventing suicides.

“We want you to be well-versed with the resources available to veterans, their loved ones and the community, and garner a sense of hope for the future and our continued efforts to reduce veteran suicides in the years to come,” he said.

Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie, who also spoke at the event, said that there is a divide between those who have served and those who have not, and the isolation many veterans experience increases the risk of suicide in the community. Mental health resources must extend outside of the veteran community, he said.

Doss encouraged the audience to check in with the people in their community as much as possible.

“We rarely ask the question ‘Is there anything I can do?’” he said. “You don’t want to just wait until somebody is suicidal to ask that question. Isn’t it a little late?”

Published on September 28, 2022 at 11:35 pm

Contact Emily: [email protected] | @madlehead